


Slow & Steady (Like a Waterfall)

by Leviarty



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Episode Related, Episode: s04e21 Makani 'Olu a Holo Malie (Fair Winds and Following Seas), Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-25
Updated: 2015-10-25
Packaged: 2018-04-28 03:56:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5076850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leviarty/pseuds/Leviarty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I can’t believe you flew all this way.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Slow & Steady (Like a Waterfall)

The makeshift hospital hardly looked up to sanitation requirements, and the combat medics didn’t have the background or the materials to patch McGarrett up proper, but Danny couldn’t fault them. Steve looked like shit warmed over, bloody and puffy, and it was a damned miracle he was even alive, so the only thing Danny could feel was grateful. He’d spent too many hours thinking he was dead, thinking the rescue team would find nothing but his battered and bloody corpse – the terror in the pit of his gut is one he knew a little too well, felt it too many times before, but it never got any better, the fear never got easier to stomach. If he wasn’t so damn glad to see Steve alive, he’d be pissed that he’d put him through this again.

The CIA told him to leave the room, and maybe he was being paranoid, maybe just stubborn, but leaving Steve alone in the hands of the CIA seemed a surefire way to lose him again. Not that he thought the CIA would kill a man who’d been through hell like this, but they did have a history of making people disappear, and like hell was he going to let them take Steve.

They (well, Steve, and Danny only by extension) were under pretty strict orders to never set foot in this part of the world again. It might have made Danny feel a little at ease, that maybe this shit wouldn’t happen again, if he believed even for a second that Steve was going to follow that order to the letter.

“Just put your head down, and relax, okay?” Danny told him. He carefully pushed him back. If he could force him to relax, he would, and if the nurses hadn’t conveniently disappeared, he’d have made them sedate him. “What are you looking at me like that for?”

Steve, well, he had a lot of expressions, and Danny thought himself pretty well versed in the many faces of McGarrett, but this one was a mix of shock and awe and Danny didn’t know what else, didn’t know what to make of it.

“I can’t believe you flew all this way.”

Clearly he was an idiot (and concussed), because _of course_ he flew all this way. How could he not? The only reason he wasn’t on the extraction team was because he’d lost the fight with the CO. “Had to make sure you were okay. Plus, you owe me $500 from that poker game.” Damn, he couldn’t even play it off like a joke; the words are there, but he couldn’t force any feeling behind them. His heart was still thumping too fast, too scared, too relieved.

But Steve laughed, or tried to laugh, but only coughed, and it makes Danny feel even worse. “I’m glad you find that funny.” They were silent for a short while, and Danny _hated_ that silence, but didn’t know how to fill it, didn’t think there were enough words in any language to fill that void. “I love you,” he said finally. It was easier to say now than it had been the first time, but harder just the same.

“Love you too, brother,” Steve said, his eyes drifting closed.

And no, that wasn’t what Danny meant, but it would’ve been so damn easy to just leave it at that, leave it at brothers.

“No,” Danny said, shaking his head. “ _I love you_.” He hoped  his tone conveyed the meaning, because he really didn’t know how else to say it, how to explain. But then, Steve was so far gone, he didn’t even know if he would remember this conversation later.

*

As much as he loved driving his Camaro, and constantly reminded Steve that it was _his_ car and that he should be the one driving it, it felt completely wrong to be driving with Steve in the passenger seat. Even worse that Steve didn’t argue, didn’t put up any fuss when Danny helped him in at the airport, didn’t complain about his driving style all the way home.

“You want help getting in?” Danny asked when they reached the McGarrett house. He’d already shut off the car, fully intent on helping regardless of what Steve’s answer was, but he expected at least _some_ resistance.

“Yeah.” And _fuck_ , it must have been a hell of a lot worse than it looked.

Danny helped him out of the car and into the house, and up the stairs. They moved slow, limping like they were in a three-legged race, and it really didn’t help that Steve had a good eight inches on him.

“I love you too,” Steve said when they’re on the last step.

“Yeah?”

Steve nodded a little. “Yeah.”

And Danny didn’t know he’d been holding his breath, waiting for the inevitable fallout from his confession, until he started breathing again.

Steve eased himself into bed, showing more pain on his face than Danny ever needed to see. He slid off his shoes (little more that slippers, courtesy of the US Army) and carefully leaned back into the bed. Danny helped him under the sheets, then started toward the door.

“Stay,” Steve said quietly.

And maybe Danny should have declined or pretended not to hear, but he wasn’t very good at saying no to Steve. So instead he toed off his shoes and slid in the bed, facing Steve. Steve tried to turn, winced, then settled for turning just his head. Danny gently took his hand, but Steve clung to it, holding on for dear life. Danny was reminded of when the roles were reversed, when they were trapped in the rubble and he’d held on to Steve like a life line.

“Mahalo.”


End file.
